March is Artichoke Season in Egypt

Up to yesterday, I didn't know much about artichokes. My Italian friend Paul in Phoenix used to prepare them all the time. Apparently artichokes are an anaphrodisiac.

This was years ago and all I remember is that the process of eating artichokes seemed complicated and frustrating. At the time, I didn't have a mindful approach to my food. Needless to say, the artichoke never made it on my list of "love to eat."

The other day as my husband and I zipped across town, we passed by a little cart that was stacked with beautiful, green artichokes. My husband happens to adore artichokes. We didn't have anything for dinner, and he said he would take care of the steaming and make a dressing.

Support your local vendors.

We got them home and steamed them. He made a delicious dressing. Like never before, I completely enjoyed this delightful vegetable.

We bought 5 gorgeous artichokes for 10LE. ($1.66 or £1)

SPRING cleanse: Artichokes are a Perfect Food for Detox

As the weather is making the changes to bring us into summer, I've been planning my menu for a Spring cleanse and detox.

I was happy to read all about the beautiful artichoke and the medicinal properties. Low in calories, with only 60 calories for one medium cooked globe, it is also fat-free. It is a natural diuretic, a digestive aid, and provides nutrition to health-promoting bacteria in the intestinal tract.

It didn't surprise me to find that artichokes are in season right now, the most perfect time for body detox. According to Ayurveda principles, eating artichokes when in season over an extended period of time will result in a cleaning and detoxification of the body.